The hormone and cellular protein test today went well. I stayed up until 3am last night studying for that thing...then I got up at 7:30 for some reason. Part of me really wanted that extra hour of sleep my alarm clock entitled me to...but I couldn't help cramming for one last hour. For three and some odd minutes of sleep I was fairly awake and competent. Fear's an amazing emotion.

Most of my day was filled with the usual boring details. I need to compile a 10 page report on the blue crab of the Chesapeake Bay. It's a feisty little bastard that takes other species by the balls even when there's an ecological disaster all around. That kind of dedication I can respect, especially from a crustacean.

After everything was said and done I decided to stop over by Pauly's and have a meatball sub or something. The fact that four people were behind the counter and the whole arrangement looked different didn't strike me. I threw out the usual two-syllable order expecting prompt service. The woman blinked and kept asking me what it was I said. I sortof blinked then realized all the menus were different. Did Pauly revise the damn thing AGAIN? No, it wasn't his style, too familyish.

And then it hit me: this wasn't the same place. Ordering my stuff I sat down by the window overlooking the main street of "downtown" Oberlin (the whole two blocks of it). I vaguely noticed the back of an "under new management" sign, scanning over the bright moon catching strands of yarny clouds.

I couldn't believe it: it was gone. Pauly had sold the place. The deep brown triangles on the orangy-brown paint, the tables, even the floor bin where I always put my glasses and silverware...all of it was there but it meant absolutely nothing. Back when I was a sophmore just transferring into the college, I didn't know anywhere to go or what was decent. Here I found this shoddy restaurant near the end of downtown, plain cracked tables for two bordered by a nasty lime green paint job and overhead ceiling fan lamps. He never did replace those lamps, but he spruced up the place up over the years.

From being one of his first customers I got to be a regular. The food could be decent or really suck, but the place had class. He'd play rap, punk, sometimes techno...it had life to it, a pleasant "fuck you I'm young and thoughtful" feel. I couldn't stop feeling disturbed even after I left. The food was fantastic, but I felt like I was betraying something...and eventually it just faded away.

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